My TF-100 test kit came 1st results- help!

[USBB]

I have a fiberglass pool in the upstate/ Greenville, SC area. I think the pool I about 8500 gallons based on the water bill. I did the tests today using my new kit. This is my first time owning a pool. I put the results into the pool math calculator. I am going to do the tests again tomorrow to double check them, but I am pretty sure they are correct. I am going to remove the floater with the chlorine tablets tonight. I am pretty certain the chlorine is correct. I have had the floater in all winter and dumped a half gallon or so of bleech in for good measure here and there. It hasn’t turned into a green monster. LOL

Here are the results
FC 8
ph 7.2
TA 540
CH 350
CYA 70
Borate 15
Water temp 55

What do I need to be doing between now and when the weather warms up. I will be trying to see if the pump and filter work in the next few days. Is there a good place online to learn about those? I want to repeat the tests once the filter has run for at least 24 hours unless you guys think longer.

FYI, I really like the kit and speed stir. Well worth the money and easy to use.

 

[Jimrahbe]

usbb,

I really doubt that your TA is 540... it looks way too high... since this is your first test, I'd redo the tests tomorrow and double check the instructions..

Unless this is a saltwater pool, your CYA is already way higher than it should be.. I'd double check that test also, and if still at 70, I would suggest you dump some water to get the CYA down before doing anything else...

You really want your CYA down around 30 or 40...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

- - - Updated - - -

Are you doing the CYA test, outside in bright sunlight with your back to the sun???

 

[USBB]

Yes, I believe that is how I did the test.

- - - Updated - - -

I will do all the tests again in the morning. The pool store had me dump in a bunch of stuff before I found this forum. I have just been adding bleach over the winter and until my test kit came in.

 

[Texas Splash]

The pool store had me dump in a bunch of stuff before I found this forum.

Say it isn't so! Okay, tomorrow is another day.

 

[USBB]

Here is the test the pool store did for me after my 1st chemical dump. I didn’t do one after the second when I added CYA. To be fair on that one. I thought my pool was about 12000 gallons before the water bill came.

 

[USBB]

My pic didn’t load. The pool store test from November after the first chemical dump and before the second dump was:
FC 0
TC .1
CC .1
ph 8.2
TA 98
CH 357
CYA 4

I have ended my short term relationship with the pool store since I found the forum. I have just had the floater with chlorine tablets in there and added bleach once in a while.

Since I added the CYA based on the wrong pool size, my test result there makes sense to me.

 

[USBB]

I just went out and dipped up a bottle of water. I redid the TA twice just now. It came out to 60 both times. I don’t know what I did wrong earlier. All the other numbers make sense to me based on what I have done to the pool.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

I have had the floater in all winter and dumped a half gallon or so of bleech in for good measure here and there. It hasn’t turned into a green monster. LOL

If the pool store had you using a floater with sticks in it that's likely where the extra CYA might have come from. Those sticks add CYA. Could have been from the error in the 8K vs 12K pool volume too. Going forward you should relay on adding bleach to the pool and keep the floater in the garage unless you're going out of town and won't be around to test and add.

There are great videos on the TFT test kit: https://www.youtube.com/user/TF100TestKit

If you are measuring Borate with the strips it's recommended 30-50.

 

[USBB]

CA just came out twice at 300
and the cya under my kitchen lights 65